The Gift
by Izumihimechan
Summary: The prequel to The Vist. Schyler's life before and and after being turned into a vampire by Angelus. Please R and R
1. A Little Girl

The woman moaned and the man held onto her hand.

"Hold on just a little longer Jane dear," the man said.

"Jeffery...I can't...I..." The midwife put a cold cloth on Jane's forehead.

"You should leave now sir," she said. "It would not be proper."

"Jeffery no!" Jane cried clinging to her husband's hand.

"You will be fine dear," Jeffery said as he pulled out of her grasp and walked out into the next room. Two boys waited in the room. One boy had dark brown hair and matching eyes. The other had glasses, electric blue eyes, and floppy dirty blonde hair.

"How is she father?" the boy with the brown hair asked.

"It will not be long now Cory." The other boy, the older one, began drumming his fingers on his knees. Moments later the midwife came out holding a small bundle in her arms.

"She is perfectly healthy sir," she said handing over the baby girl.

"Boys, come have a look," Jeffery called. The boys stood up and came to Jeffery's side.

"She is beautiful Uncle," the older boy said. "I believe I shall write a poem for her."

"Oh for the love of God William!" Cory cried. "The child would die just hearing it!"

"Cory do not let your mother hear you speak like that!" Jeffery said sharply. Cory looked at the floor.

"Sorry Father." Jeffery turned and walked back into the room. And so it was that on October 30th, All Hallows Eve, at midnight, Schyler Jane Marcin was born.


	2. William's Poem

Years passed and as Schyler grew she became very attached to William. She loved his poems and for a sever-year-old she had a strange ability to comprehend them.

"Morning all," William called as he walked into the house.

"Cousin William!" Schyler cried. She ran to him and hugged him.

"Hello William," Jane said, smiling at him. "How is you mother?"

"Sick again I'm afraid. She sends her love, though."

"Why is Aunt Anne sick so often?" Schyler asked.

"She's very old," William replied. Anne and William weren't actually related to Schyler and her family. Anne's husband had been Jeffery's best friend and so the families were close. Once Anne's husband died, Jeffery helped support them.

"Well tell her we send our love and hope that she feels better soon," Jane said.

"Will do Aunt Jane." She smiled at him again and then walked back into the kitchen.

"Cousin William, will you read one of your poems to me?" Schyler asked. "Please?"

"Well I _did _just write one…"

"Read it! Please William!?"

"Spare us Will," Cory drawled from a chair on the other side of the living room. Schyler turned and stuck her tongue out at her older brother.

"I think I will," William replied. "Since Schyler is so interested." Cory rolled his eyes and walked out. William sat down on another chair and Schyler crawled onto his lap. He took a small notebook from his bag and turned the pages. He stopped and began to read.

"_Yet her smell, it doth linger, painting pictures in my mind.Her eyes, balls of honey. Angel's harps her laugh.Oh, lark. Grant a sign if crook'd be Cupid's shaft.Hark, the lark, her name it hath spake."Cecily" it discharges from twixt its wee beak._"

"Oh dear God!" Cory called from the kitchen. "I think my ears are bleeding!" William sighed and put the notebook away. Schyler didn't like to see her cousin so sad.

"Oh go on Will," she said. "I thought it was brilliant. Are you going to read it to Cecily Addams?"

"Perhaps. I really do hope to win her heart…"

"_William_!" Jane scolded, coming into the room. "Don't speak of such things with the child!"

"But I know what he means," Schyler protested.

"Regardless of whether you understand or not," Jane snapped. "It's not proper."

"But…" William turned Schyler toward him.

"Now Schyler you listen to your mother. She knows best," he said.

"Yes Cousin William." Jane nodded her approval at William and then walked back into the kitchen.

"So are you going to read it to her or not?" Schyler demanded. William smiled and smoothed her hair.

"Yes I suppose I will." She smiled at him.

"Cousin William can I come with you to London to hear you read your poem? Please?" William shrugged.

"I suppose so as long as it is all right with your parents."

"Oh goody!" Schyler cried as she jumped off his lap and ran into the kitchen to ask her mother if she could go with William.


	3. London

The day for Schyler and William's trip to London had arrived.

"I can't wait for Cousin William to get here!" Schyler said happily as she twirled around the living room. She didn't stop even after Cory snapped at her to be quiet and sit down.

"No! Cousin William will be here soon! I can't wait to see London!" Cory sighed.

"You do know that William isn't really our cousin, don't you?" he sneered at his younger sister.

"He _is _our cousin!" Schyler snapped as she glared at her brother.

"No he's not actually," Cory drawled. "Anne was father's best mate's wife. When he died father started supporting her and William."

"I don't care!" Schyler cried. "He'll always be Cousin William to me! Always!" She stomped her foot and stuck her tongue out at Cory.

"Have it your way little sister," he replied. Just then there was a knock at the door.

"William's here!" Schyler cried happily as she ran to answer the door.

"Hello there sweet one," William said when she opened the door. He scooped Schyler into his arms and spun her around.

"Mother!" Schyler called. "Father! William's here!" Jeffery and Jane came out of the kitchen.

"Hello William," Jeffery said. "Is everything ready to go?" William nodded.

"All I have to do is load up Schyler's things and then we'll be ready." Jeffery smiled at his daughter.

"You behave like a proper young lady," he instructed her. "Do you understand?" Schyler nodded.

"I understand Father."

"Well we'll see you all in a few days," William said as he carried Schyler to the waiting carriage.

Several hours later William and Schyler arrived in London and they checked into the hotel where they would be staying and then they walked down the street to the place where William went every week to read his poetry.

"Are these people your friends?" Schyler asked as they neared the building.

"Well…yes," William replied after a pause.

"Will they mind if I'm there? I'm not too young am I?" William shook his head and took Schyler's hand.

"Of course not. If anyone has anything to say about it then they will have me to deal with." Schyler giggled as the two of them walked into the building.


	4. Cecily Addams

Schyler stayed close to her cousin as they walked to a couch in the back of the crowded parlor.

"Cousin William I don't like these people," she whispered to him as he pulled out his notebook and began to write a new poem. "They all dress funny."

"Don't be silly," William muttered absentmindedly. "Now be a good girl and be quiet." Schyler sighed and tried not fidget as she waited for her cousin to finish writing.

"Luminous... oh, no, no, no. Irradiant's better." William muttered to himself. Schyler glanced at him but she could not see what it was that he was writing and he had told her to be quiet so she knew better than to ask. A waiter came over to them carrying a silver tray.

"Care for an hors d'oeuvre, sir, miss?" Schyler shook her head shyly and looked down at her lap. William looked up.

"Oh, quickly! I'm the very spirit of vexation. What's another word for "gleaming"?" he asked the waiter. "It's a perfectly perfect word as many words go but the bother is nothing rhymes, you see." The waiter smiled rather patronizingly and walked off. Schyler glared at him as he left.

"Well that was awfully rude," she said. William sighed and looked over at the stairs as a young woman entered the room.

"Cecily…" he breathed. Schyler looked up at the woman. She was dressed in fine clothes and had dark brown hair that was done up in a stylish hairdo. William turned back to his poem and jotted down several more lines. As soon as he was done he got up and began walking toward Cecily Addams.

"Cousin William wait for me!" Schyler said as she jumped up to follow him. He paused and waited for her to catch up to him.

"Now just stand next to me and try to look as if you're having a good time, all right?"

"All right." They walked off into the crowd and passed a young woman and her two male companions.

"I mean to point out that it's something of a mystery and the police should keep an open mind." One of the men turned to Schyler and William as they passed.

"Ah, William! Favor us with your opinion," he said. "What do you make of this rash of disappearances sweeping through our town? Animals or thieves?" William wrapped an arm around Schyler's shoulders and pulled her against him.

"I prefer not to think of such dark, ugly business at all. That's what the police are for," William replied haughtily before glancing at Cecily.. "I prefer placing my energies into creating things of beauty." Schyler smiled, thinking of his poems. The second man snatched William's poem from his hand.

"I see," he drawled. "Well, don't withhold, William."

"Rescue us from a dreary topic," the woman sneered. Schyler gaped at the three people. How could these people be her dear cousin's friends!? They were so horrible to him!

"Careful! The inks are still wet," William said angrily and then more pleadingly, "Please, it's not finished."

"Don't be shy," the man sneered and then he began to read. "_My heart expands/'tis grown a bulge in it/inspired by your beauty, effulgent_." He laughed. "Effulgent?" All three of the people began laughing and mocking William. Schyler was torn between defending William and being quiet like her told her. She glanced up at Cecily and saw that she looked uncomfortable. Cecily glanced at William and then walked off. William snatched his poem back from the second man and pulled Schyler through the crowd as they followed Cecily. Schyler could still hear them mocking William.

"And that's actually one of his better compositions," the first man laughed.

"Have you heard?" the woman asked. "They call him William the Bloody because of his bloody awful poetry!" "It suits him," the second man agreed. "I'd rather have a railroad spike through my head than listen to that awful stuff!" William and Schyler approached Cecily who was sitting on a couch away from the main party looking out the window.

"Cecily?" William asked. Cecily turned, saw the other two, and sighed.

"Oh. Leave me alone," she answered. William motioned to the others with a slight smile.

"Oh, they're vulgarians. They're not like you and I." Cecily looked startled.

"You and I? I'm going to ask you a very personal question and I demand an honest answer. Do you understand? " William nodded.

"Your poetry, it's... they're... not written about me, are they?" William shifted slightly.

"They're about how I feel."

"Yes, but are they about _me_?"

"Every syllable."

"Oh, God!" Cecily began fanning herself with a fancy hand fan. She looked away from William. William looked worried and began to stammer.

"Oh, I know... it's sudden and... please, if they're no good, they're only words but... the feeling behind them... I love you, Cecily."

"Please stop!"

"I know I'm a bad poet but I'm a good man and all I ask is that... that you try to see me-"

"I _do_ see you. That's the problem. You're nothing to me, William. You're beneath me." She stood and walked away leaving Schyler and William alone. Schyler looked up at William and saw how devastated he looked.

"Don't listen to her William," she said glaring after Cecily. "I think you're a wonderful poet!" When he didn't respond Schyler looked up and saw that he was crying.

"Cousin William?" William ignored her and hurried from the party. Schyler had to run to catch up to him. When she caught up he was staggering down the street in tears and ripping up his poems. He bumped into a group of people walking toward him. His notebook fell to the ground and the loose pages littered the ground.

"You - watch where you're going!" William snapped at the man he had bumped into. Schyler hurried up to the group.

"I'm sorry," she said. "My cousin is just upset." The group smiled at her. There were two women and one man. One woman was blonde, one woman had raven black hair, and then man had dark brown hair which was tied back in a low ponytail with a black ribbon.

"Well that's quite all right," the man replied. "Now you should probably hurry up or you'll lose your cousin. And we wouldn't want anything awful to happen to such a pretty young lady."

"Yes sir, I just wanted to apologize." The man nodded.

"Apology accepted." Schyler smiled and ran after William. She stopped and looked back over her shoulder. They were all staring at her and she could see the that the black haired woman was watching William. The blonde said something to the man and he laughed. Before Schyler turned to catch up to William she noticed that the man had not stopped watching her the entire time, just as the black hair woman had not stopped watching William.

"William wait!" she cried. "Wait for me!" William slowed until she had caught up to him. She grabbed hold of his hand and let him lead her back to their hotel room.

"You just…get into your nightclothes and go to bed," William instructed Schyler. "I'm going…out. I'll be back later."

"All right," Schyler mumbled as she gathered her nightclothes. "I love you Cousin William." William stopped at the door and turned back to her.

"I love you too, sweet one." She smiled up at him but he had turned back around and walked out without returning the smile. Schyler got dressed slowly and climbed into her bed. She tried to wait up for William to return but she was only seven years old. She fell asleep almost as soon as she had pulled the covers around her shoulders. When she woke up the next morning William still had not returned.


	5. Darla

I sat down on the couch in the back of parlor and watched the men and women mill about, laughing at a joke or listening to some bit of gossip.

_Gits, _I thought to myself. _They all think that they're so perfect. I hate them all! _I had been coming back to this place every year for ten years, hoping to see my cousin. William had disappeared after leaving me in our hotel room when I was seven. I had stayed there for three days before I called my father and he sent my brother to come and get me. Cory and Father were furious. But when Father went to find William at his house he didn't find him or his mother. They had both vanished. And so I had been coming to London once a year at the same time that William and I had gone when I was seven, looking to see if he would show up for the poetry readings.

"Cecily…I love you," a young man said. I looked up in time to see Cecily give the man a disgusted look.

"Please leave me alone," Cecily snapped. "You are beneath me!" The man backed up looking devastated. I looked away as he ran from the room ripping up his poem as he went. It was all so much like what had happened with William that I could hardly stand it. I got to my feet and stormed over to Cecily.

"How could you keep doing this to every man who says he loves you!?" I demanded. "Do you really think that you're above everyone!?"

"What do you care?" she asked. "Are you still upset because I snubbed your pathetic cousin? Do you think he'd show his face here again?" I shook my head glaring down at her.

"I _will _find him Cecily, you mark my words!" I snarled. "And when I do I'll prove how far above you he really is!" Cecily laughed haughtily as I stalked away and out of the building.

As I walked out into the street I bumped into a woman.

"Oh, excuse me Miss."

"It's quite all right dear, no harm done," the woman replied. I looked up and gasped.

"I know you!" I said. "You're one of the women my cousin bumped into seven years ago! You were with that nice man." The woman smiled.

"Ah yes. I remember you. I don't believe we introduced ourselves last time."

"My name is Schyler Marcin." She smiled at me.

"My name is Darla. You know dear, it's getting awfully chilly out here. Why don't we go to my flat for a cup of tea before you go home for the night?"

"All right," I agreed. Darla slipped her arm through mine and we walked on up the street together.


	6. The Gift

When we reached Darla's flat she led me inside and told me to sit down in the living room. She returned shortly with two cups of tea.

"So tell me, why did storm from that building?" I sighed and set down my cup.

"This horrid woman, Cecily Addams, hurt another man who said he loved her. She did the same thing to my cousin. That's why I come here every year, I'm hoping to find him. He vanished when I was seven."

"I'm sorry to hear that." I shrugged.

"I just want to find him." Darla smiled and we made small talk for a while but then I began to feel tired.

"Darla…I….feel…I feel odd…" Darla's smile turned cold.

"I know dear." I felt the shock on my face even as I began to fall unconscious. Then everything went black.

When I opened my eyes I felt groggy and weak.

"Darla…" I called hoarsely.

"So you've woken up," she voice said from in front of me. "Good." I tried to stand up and found that I was tied to the chair.

"Darla please let me go!" I whimpered. "I want to go home!" Darla laughed.

"Oh no my dear. You're never going home."

"Help!" I screamed. "Someone please help me! Help!!" Darla smacked me but when I refused to stop shouting for help she gagged me.

"Now you just sit there and be silent," Darla snapped. "You are never going to go home so there is no use in shouting." I began to sob. Darla began pacing as she explained to me why exactly I was here.

"You see dear, you are to be a present for my Angelus. My boy has had his eye on you for a long time. Ever since you apologized for your cousin. He's wanted you and I will do anything to see my boy happy. Angelus will be very pleased with you." Just then the front door opened.

"Grandmummy!" a female voice called. "We're home! Spike and I stopped at the orphanage. We had the most…"

"Not now Drusilla!" Darla snapped, cutting her off. "You and Spike get out of here."

"But we just got back!" a male voice that sounded vaguely familiar complained.

"Do as I say!" Darla commanded. "I have a surprise for Angelus and I don't want you two here when I give it to him!" The man grumbled something that I couldn't hear and then he and woman left. Darla perched on the couch and watched me sob for what seemed like a very long time. Then the front door opened again.

"Darla my sweet!" a man's voice called. "I'm home!"

"Angelus!" Darla replied standing up and hurrying into the front hall. "Oh Angelus I have a special surprise for you." They returned and I recognized the man who had been so nice to me seven years ago. Darla removed my gag.

"Oh Darla you found me the pretty little lamb," the man said walking up to me and touching my cheek. "I've wanted this one for quite a long time."

"I know Angelus and I finally found her for you."

"Please," I sobbed as Angelus began untying me. "Please I just want to go home." Angelus smiled.

"Oh don't worry little one," he replied. "I have something special planned for you."

"Special?" Darla asked sounding confused and slightly annoyed. "Angelus…you're not…you're not going to _turn her _are you!?"

"Yes Darla that's just what I was thinking. She's such a pretty little thing why wouldn't I preserve that beauty forever?" Darla sighed.

"If that's what you want." I was terrified and confused. I didn't understand what Darla meant when she asked Angelus if he was going turn me.

"Please," I begged again. "Please just let me go home. I won't tell anyone I promise!" Angelus smiled at me.

"Don't worry lamb," he replied. "Just close your eyes." I did as he said, hoping that if I obeyed then he would let me go home. I felt him lean down and then there was a sharp pain in my neck. I gasped and pushed uselessly against his chest. I still didn't understand what was happening. Tears leaked from my eyes until, finally, all my will power to fight faded and I lost consciousness.

I woke up to my whole body pulsing with pain. I moaned but could not find the strength to open my eyes.

"Here Lamb drink and the pain will stop," Angelus' voice whispered. Something was pressed against my lips and warm liquid slid down my chin as I tried to resist.

"Lamb, the pain will become unbearable soon. Drink so that it will stop." A new wave of pain crashed over me and I screamed. The liquid went into my mouth and I had never tasted anything so sweet. I latched onto the object from which the liquid was pouring.

"That's it Lamb, drink," Angelus urged. He smoothed my hair and I realized that he must be very close to me. I fingers searched along the object trying to find out what it was. My fingers touched Angelus's hand and I gasped, choking on the liquid.

_His blood!_ I thought franticly. _Oh God that's what this is!? _I began thrashing against him, trying desperately to pull away. Angelus' grip tightened, his fingers twisting and grabbing a fistful of my hair. The pain was lessening and soon I felt weightless, as though I was floating on a cloud. I closed my eyes and drifted off into the waiting blackness.


End file.
